I'm painting rooms in my house. There are two ways I tried painting the edges along the wall. First I tried masking and just using that. Next I bought a long plastic edge and inserted that at a 45 degree angle to the wall and painted against that (without masking). While they both turned out somewhat OK, neither is great. Is there a secret to this?
Experience (practice) and skill, said my father-in-law (after 40 years in the painting trade.)
If you can figure it out, then you are well on your way to making good money painting. I think it just takes lots of practice and a steady hand. The variations in the joint will make the lines look off ( if you tape or use the edger), and so, you have to cheat here and there to make the line come out looking straight
Dave
Every pro I have even seen, that did good work, used the same thing, freehand. With practice they can do it better and faster than using either of those ideas.
My painter suggested this, and it worked well (HE doesn't need to do it, but suggested it'd help me): Take a utility knife and run it between the ceiling and the wall, making a very slight cut (more like a scratch almost). This prevents paint from bleeding onto the surface you're not painting. I still taped though, but overall this looks MUCH better than just taping. Very clean lines, and you can't see where the "cut" is, as it's absolutely minimal. KB
Good quality masking tape pressed firmly against the wall (so the paint doesn't seep underneath). Then remove BEFORE it dries so you don't pull the paint "skin" off the wall. If the wall requires 2 coats, repeat. Possibly alot of work but its worth it.
--Jeff
Quarter round molding.
Sometimes it is easiest to paint the ceiling first, not worrying much about the edge. Then, with good light, the right ladder, and a good 1-1/2" sash brush, cut the wall into the ceiling freehand. Lay off the coffee and work while you are not tired or cranky. I like soft background music.
Takes practice, to get a really good job. There is an art to getting just the right amount of paint on the brush and how to exactly apply the brush and how to avoid going back over the cut line.
With water-base paint, have that we rag handy so you can wipe it off and start over when necessary.
By the way, some "pros" do a crappy job of cutting in.
Buy a good brush and do it freehand, it is worth the $12. I personally like an 2.5" angled Purdy brush. The other option is a painting pad. It will do a nice job but I find that I get paint in the little rollers and spend more time cleaning them than painting. Dave
The more I practice freehand; the more confident I get. A quality brush, well loaded with paint and longer strokes.
Until I was around a "craftsman" I never knew I did not know how to properly clean a paint brush. After he showed me, plenty of brushes have been saved.
-- Oren
"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."
A decent quality brush and practice. I quit masking some time ago and learned to do it freehand with better results than I ever got with masking. Also, freehand is less time consuming. The amount of paint on the brush makes a big difference. You don't want much paint on the brush at all and you need to push the brush against the wall a bit until the bristles flare up to the cut-in point. Then with a slow and steady hand guide the brush along your cut-in. Reload the brush as needed. Just remember you don't want much paint on the brush.
-Felder
My favorite also. At that cost, they are thoroughly cleaned and properly stored.
I try and stroke the pad in one direction. When I place the pad on the wall I stay just shy of the ceiling and slightly push the pad/paint up to the line. As I finish the stroke with the pad I slightly pull down and away from the ceiling. It seems to help with the dirty rollers.
-- Oren
"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."
Lots of patience. I used a small brush with a steady hand along all the edges.
Felder has hit on the one thing that I've observed in watching others aint - useing too much paint. Go easy when dipping the brush, and put the full bristles on the wall an inch or two below the ceiling (same for cutting in around woodwork) and then work the paint towards the finish point.
The next thing tends to be trying to 'work the paint' too much. Once it's on the wall, leave it alone until it dries. The more you brush it around the more you are likely to mess things up, whether you have masked it off, are using a straight-edge, or going freehand.
I'd suggest a good angled brush and practice. Don't put too much paint on the brush, and take it in long strokes, easing into the final line you want to leave. It's not hard, but it does take some practice.
Steve
If you don't press the painter's tape down firmly, paint will get under it and make a "fuzzy" edge. Be sure to press the tape hard, and don't brush across the edge (paint with the edge). Take tape off right away - if left till paint dries, it will either stick to the paint on the wall or drag off little chunks of paint.
Get a GOOD brush, not a puny one, 2 -1/2" or 3" and a steady hand. You'll get the hang of it. don't try it with a cheap brush, you'll tear your hair out.
Trick from a graphic art teacher a few years back -- spray clear shellac or lacquer over the tape before actually painting. If the tape leaks under the edges, it'll be the invisible shellac that bleeds under, not the paint.
Best though to practice and learn to cut in by hand, considering how much prep work it'll save you.
OK -- can you share the tricks on how to best clean a paint brush? I try to be diligent but somehow my brushes still gunk up...
I agree with the other posters that practice and freehand is ultimately best.
However, this weekend I had a tough line to follow on some touch-up and didn't want to take out and clean my good brushes.
So, I stumbled on this trick that worked great... I used a small foam brush (maybe 1/2-1" wide) and an old hotel key card (same size/thickness as a credit card).
I used the key card as a mini-edger and held the foam brush up close to it. Then I moved the two of them in parallel with the key card flush to the perpendicular wall edge. This made for a nice straight line and no clean up (just threw out the foam brush and key card).
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